You are the Christ, the Son of God. (John 11:27)
Martha, on this your feast day, we want to honour you. So often you are remembered as being so overwhelmed with housework and so upset with your sister that you lost your cool and yelled at the Lord (Luke 10:38-42). But today, we want to honour you for the witness of your deep faith.
How much you must have loved the Lord! Even as you were grieving the death of your brother, Lazarus, you still were able to make one of Scripture’s greatest confessions of faith: “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world” (John 11:27). What courage that must have taken! Lazarus had been dead four days, and his body had begun to decay, but still you believed. Despite all the evidence that your eyes, ears, and nose gave, you rose up in faith to proclaim Jesus as Lord. Whatever moments of weakness you may have had, Martha, you were still a firm believer!
Martha, we want to honour you today because you are proof that even people with less than shining moments are still capable of great faith. You teach us not to downplay the faith and grace that God has given to us. You urge us never to impose limits on ourselves or to think that we will never have the faith of great saints like Peter, Mary, or yourself.
Thank you, Martha, for your witness! You show us that we can exercise hopeful, even audacious, faith. You show us that even a crisis, like the death of a loved one, is a divine opportunity to bring into focus what we truly believe. And you show us that our faith can grow just as much in ordinary times and opportunities—just as yours did when Jesus visited your home and invited you to a deeper trust in him.
Martha, you teach us that nothing is impossible for those who believe. Pray for us today, that we will follow your lead and let Jesus surprise us with a revelation of his goodness.
“Yes, Lord, I believe in you and in your promises. I will live for you today. Give me the grace to walk in the light and to know many bright, shining moments of faith today.”
Father Ed Bakker
Anglican Catholic Church / Original Province
Mission of Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne
Bendigo
Australia
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